Attention, Sunflower League football coaches. Don’t bother writing up a Lawrence High scouting report. When your defense lines up against the Lions’ offense, you will face a heavy dose of the running game.

“We run the football as well or better than anybody in the state of Kansas,” LHS coach Dirk Wedd said. “That’s what we based our whole philosophy on, and we’ve had a lot of success doing it.”

That philosophy maximizes the conditions in which LHS plays. Throwing and catching the ball through the wind, sleet and frost of playoff football becomes difficult.

“If you want to win a state championship in November when it’s 30 degrees,” Wedd said, “you better be able to run the football.”

When the 2006 weather turns frightful, senior running back Tony Williams likely will log most of the carries. Asked if he enjoyed fulfilling the role of bell cow in this run-heavy offense, Williams replied enthusiastically.

“Yeah,” Williams said. “I get plenty of opportunities.”

Although Williams will receive a lot of carries this year, the offense may undergo some subtle tweaks. Starting quarterback Chance Riley is 6-foot-5, making him a difficult target for smaller defenders to bring down. Wedd wants to capitalize on that edge.

LAWRENCE HIGH SENIOR RUNNING BACK TONY WILLIAMS runs away from a defender during the Lions' jamboree scrimmage. It's no secret LHS coach Dirk Wedd likes to run the football, and with the graduation of all-state performer Nolan Kellerman, the bulk of the rushing load will fall on Williams during the 2006 season.

“He’s going to carry the football some,” Wedd said. “I’d like to take advantage of a 6-foot-5 quarterback.”

Riley may also throw more frequently than the LHS quarterbacks have in the past. During last week’s fall jamboree, the Lions went to the air often. The running game generated little yardage, but Riley threw two touchdown passes, and his backup Andrew Miller threw one as well.

“We have a great running game and all,” Riley said. “But hopefully we’ll be able to throw some passing plays in there for a couple of big plays each game.”

Big plays are the key. Locals know Lawrence High throws the football about five times a game, but those passing plays have proven to be opportunistic.

“When we do throw, we think it’s a money play,” Wedd said. “You know something? We had 12 touchdown passes last year, and I’m sure there are a lot of people in the Sunflower League that would like to have 12 touchdown passes over the course of the season.”

LAWRENCE HIGH JUNIOR MALCOM SIMS should see some carries out of the Lions' backfield this fall.

During the course of the season, a running game is easier to implement on the high school level than a Texas Tech-like, air-it-out scheme. The passing game requires more intricate timing. To garner any yardage, the receiver must run a precise route past his defender, and the quarterback must throw the ball through a narrow window.

The running game only needs a small crease along the offensive line, and the back will gain at least gain a blade of grass. Consequently, the successful high school programs in Kansas have emphasized the run during the last two decades.

“If you look at the state champions over the last 20 years,” Wedd said, “you’ll see that the teams that can run the football usually win state championships.”

For LHS, that style of play has become an identity. If the Lions trail in the second half, they trust their running game, knowing it eventually will wear down their opponent.

“It’s just smashmouth football,” Williams said. “We’re just gonna line up on the line and make the other team quit.”

So don’t expect Lawrence High to quit running the ball. Even though the Lions possess a strong-armed quarterback who dazzled during the jamboree, the Lions will continue to make their living on the ground.

“We have in the past,” Wedd said. “Hopefully this year won’t be any different.”